Merry-go-round



Sept. 8, 1964 J. BORSUK 2 MERRY-GO-ROUND Filed Feb. 19, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT R Jame/ 50/151 ATTORNEYS J. BORSUK MERRY-GO-ROUNDSept. 8, 1964 Filed Feb. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V ENTOR fare5022f? ATI'QRN EYS United States Patent 3,147,972 MERRY-GO-ROUND JosephBorsnk, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Philmont Pressed Steel, Inc.,Huntingdon Valley, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 19,1962, Ser. No. 174,199 2 Claims. (Cl. 27239) The present inventionrelates to a merry-go-round of the type which can be used in or aboutthe home for the entertainment of a small child.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensivemerry-go-round construction which will have maximum safety.

A further purpose is to mount a drive housing at the top of upwardlyconverging legs, to drive the merry-goround by a vertical shaft from thedrive housing and to provide a frictionally engaged or otherwise freecollar on the shaft.

A further purpose is to hinge the legs to the outside of the drivehousing.

A further purpose is to mount the drive shaft on a bearing which islocated approximately at the apex of the converging legs and to pivotthe arm on the shaft immediately above the apex.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate one only of the numerousembodiments in which the invention may appear, selecting the forms fromthe standpoints of satisfactory operation, clear illustration andeffective demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the device of the invention with the legsbroken away.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the device of FIGURE 1 with one of thelegs broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a central vertical section to enlarged scale showing thedrive housing and associated parts.

FIGURE 4 is a plan section of FIGURE 3 on the line 4-4.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section through one of theleg pivots.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to thedrawings:

In the prior art, merry-go-rounds for children have been in most casesrelatively complicated and expensive.

There has been also the possibility in some prior art merry-go-roundsthat injury might occur to a child on the merry-go-round or to someonestanding nearby.

The present invention is concerned with the construction of a veryinexpensive merry-go-round for use by a small child which will be ofincreased safety.

In the device of the invention, a drive housing 20 consists of a bottomhousing portion 21 which is flanged at the top at 22, and which has acentral bottom opening 23 provided with a bushing 24 for introduction ofelectric wiring 25.

The drive housing has a top portion 26 suitably of dome form which has abottom flange 27 which is suitably bent over at the outside at 28. Thetwo flanges 27 and 22 have between them a diaphragm or membrane 3% whichis provided with an opening 31 and has secured thereto as by spotwelding a gear housing 32.

The three elements consisting of the bottom section 21, the top section26 and the diaphragm or membrane 30 are united together as shown bybolts 33.

Secured to the bottom housing at suitably four equally circumferentiallyspaced points are hinge housings 34 which may conveniently be spotWelded to the bottom portion of the drive housing 21. The hinge housing34 comprises a wall 35 united to the outside of the drive housing 21,sides 36, and sloping limiting outer portion 37 which in outer positionserves to engage and limit the leg while permitting it to fold as shownby the broken lines in FIGURE 5.

Each leg is suitably a tube 38 hinged on a pin 40 and having a rubberfoot 41.

Inside the drive housing 2d, the gear housing 32 supports a speedreducer 42 by rivets 43 and the speed reducer supports an electric motor44 by studs 45 secured to the speed reducer.

The motor has an output shaft 46 which connects through the gear reducer42 with the input shaft 47 which extends through an opening 48 in thegear housing and carries a pinion 50 which meshes with a gear 51 at thelower end of the drive shaft 52.

The drive shaft 52 is journalled on an anti-friction bearing, suitably ajournal and thrust ballbearing 53 secured to the top of the drivehousing 2%). The drive shaft has above the bearing a pin 54.

It will be evident from FIGURE 2 that the apex of the convergingpyramid-like legs is approximately at or just below the bearing 53 andthis provides great stability against tipping over of the drive housing20.

The drive shaft 52 extends directly above the drive housing 20 andreceives a tubular collar 55 which rests on the upper end of the driveshaft 52 against the pin 54.

The collar 55 fits loosely around the drive shaft 52 and if anyobstruction is encountered, slips with respect to the drive shaft 52since the only driving impulse is the friction between the drive shaft52 and the collar 55.

The collar 55 has secured thereto as by welding an arm 56 which issuitably bent to form the frame structure of a childs seat 57 of anywell-known type, having a canvas or other suitable back 58 which isprovided with a seat portion 69, and back portion 61 and leg engagingportions 62 at the front. The seat may be of a conventional characterused in automobile seats and hammocks for children from a few months tothree or four years old.

The arm 56 is reinforced in its connection to the collar by a brace 63which has an upper web portion 64 and a rearward gripping portion 65which engages the back of the collar.

In operation, the merry-go-round is placed in position with the legsextended as shown in FIGURES l and 2.

The child is then placed in the seat and the motor is started by makingthe electrical connection. The seat turns slowly. If the childencounters any obstruction such as furniture the seat remains and thecollar 55 slips around the upper end of the shaft 52.

The amount of frictional grip depends to some extent on the downwardmovement due to the weight of the child and therefore the heavier thechild the greater the frictional engagement of the collar 55 with thedrive shaft.

Furthermore, since the legs converge toward an apex located just aboutthe bearing 53 and immediately below the collar 55, the structure isvery stable against tipping over. In any case, the center of gravity ofthe child is within the area bounded by the legs or toward the centerwith respect to the leg as seen in FIGURE 2.

When the device is not to be used, the seat and arm can be lifted offthe top of the drive shaft and the legs can be folded and the entiredevice Will then fit into a closet.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying the structure shown, and I therefore claim allsuch insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of myclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a merry-go-round, a plurality of upwardly extendenemy/2 (3 ingconverging legs, a drive housing interposed between the upper ends ofthe legs, hinge supports for the legs secured to the drive housing atpositions distributed around the outside of the drive housing, a motordrive in the 4. 1y thereof, and a seat mounted on the outer end of thearm.

2. A merry-go-round of claim 1, in which the legs converge toward anapex, the apex being located approximatedrive housing having a verticaloutput shaft at the top of 5 ly at the location of said bearing.

the drive housing, a bearing for the shaft in the drive housing, acollar surrounding the shaft above the drive housing and freely turnablewith respect thereto except for frictiona1 drag, an arm secured to thecollar and extending radial- Wunderlich Mar. 15, 1955 Taylor Oct. 2,1956

1. IN A MERRY-GO-ROUND, A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY EXTENDING CONVERGING LEGS, A DRIVE HOUSING INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE UPPER ENDS OF THE LEGS, HINGE SUPPORTS FOR THE LEGS SECURED TO THE DRIVE HOUSING AT POSITIONS DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE DRIVE HOUSING, A MOTOR DRIVE IN THE DRIVE HOUSING HAVING A VERTICAL OUTPUT SHAFT AT THE TOP OF THE DRIVE HOUSING, A BEARING FOR THE SHAFT IN THE DRIVE HOUS- 